


Nothing but a Flickering Flame

by leviathanofthesky



Category: Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Child Abuse, Daddy Issues, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Minor Character Death, Non-Traditional Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Omega Armitage Hux, Past Rape/Non-con, Post TLJ, Protective Kylo Ren
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-08-24
Updated: 2018-12-15
Packaged: 2019-07-01 19:44:29
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,368
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15780819
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/leviathanofthesky/pseuds/leviathanofthesky
Summary: General Hux’s father visits the Finalizer after Snoke’s death to pay tribute to the newly crowned supreme leader. Unfortunately for Armitage, Kylo’s sudden interest in him and the fact that his shipment of suppressants seems to be lost in stars-know-where doesn’t help the situation at all.





	1. Hux

_The waves slammed into the rocks below, their churning a deep rumble as they pulled away, inviting him into their sweet abyss. The salty humid air clung to his skin in a sheen of perspiration, and he could sense the coming of a storm in the horizon as the clouds began to thicken across the sky, becoming a veil of darkness that covered the normally pristine waters in a turbulent deep blue._

_Armitage choked back the pain that still shot through his chest with every breath and took a shaky step forward, the bruises on his thighs screaming in protest. Just one more step, he told them._

_One more, and it would be all over._

_“Coward.” His father’s voice behind him stopped him in his tracks. Armitage turned wearily to the man, just slightly surprised that the Commandant would follow him this far outside from the infirmary._

_He swallowed again, his throat long dry from screaming, the nerves from what he had set out to do catching up to him. Once again, he found that he no longer had any retorts for his father, long beaten out of him even prior to what lead up to this._

_Brendol Hux’s pale eyes were emotionless, a shell of the fury and contempt it usually held. Yet, they still stared him down mercilessly, sending shivers through his spine even greater than the ones he was already experiencing._

_“If you had enough resolve to make it out here with those wounds, then you should have enough anger to grasp your revenge.” Brendol’s eyes flashed just briefly. “No one will protect you but yourself, omega or not. No one will mourn when you are gone.”_

_With those words, his father turned and stalked away, leaving him alone with the cliff, the sky giving a loud groan before a sheen of water fell across his face, mixing in with the tears that flowed from his pale green eyes._

Hux woke with a start, his breaths heavy as he looked frantically about his surroundings like a madman, recognizing the familiar ceiling and the black durasteel walls of his quarters on the  _Finalizer_. He took a long breath to calm himself, realizing that he had fallen asleep on his bed fully clothed, his sleep deprivation having finally caught up to him. He sat up slowly, groaning when he felt a sharp pain shoot down his side along with a dull ache that accompanied even the slightest turn of his head.

So  _that_ hadn’t been a dream either then. He suddenly remembered the bleeding salt flatlands of Crait, the burning throne room of the ruined  _Supremacy,_ the previous supreme leader cut in half on the ground like some rag doll… Hux groaned.

Right, he had just finished organizing the mere beginnings of the rescue effort of their destroyed flagship and sent out multiple communications to the rest of fleet informing them of their situation before heading back to his quarters for a quick break. He had already been up four entire cycles straight after all.

Then, that blasted summons from the  _new_ supreme leader had flashed through his datapad and kriff- he did not remember what had happened after his head touched the mattress in a rare display of exasperation. Hux picked up said datapad and cursed under his breath again.

That was two hours ago.

Hux could still feel the grit of salt in every crevice of his clothes, and he knew from experience that the bruises needed some bacta or he would regret it later. The man could wait another 15 minutes. He hung his prized greatcoat up as usual before shedding his uniform on the ground; to hell with folding it when even the movement from shaking the sand out of his gaberwool coat sent a sharp pain through his ribs.

He made a beeline for the shower and was thankful for once that higher ranking officers had the option of using actual water instead of a sonic as the stream washed over him, his entire body aching even under the soft spray as the grime flowed away, leaving a trail of red on the tile floor. It was at that moment as he watched the stained water disappear into the drain that the realization of it all came crashing down onto him.

Snoke was gone. There was no one left to shield him from the raging menace that was Ren now.

He let out a shaky breath, the room suddenly too hot and humid, the cold spray of the water boiling against his skin.

Hux gulped and jumped out, grabbing a towel from the rack.

After mostly drying himself in a frenzy while ignoring the building heat that seemed to encase him, Hux finally dared to look into the mirror at his naked form, his eyes trailing first to the hand shaped bruises around his neck. He supposed he should be pleased that they would be nicely hidden under his collar, but that did nothing to dull the ache that he felt whenever he turned his neck. He also noted that the work on the left side of his ribs looked worse than he thought and should probably warrant a trip to the medbay.

He gritted his teeth and popped a painkiller, eyes trailing momentarily over the empty bottle next to them, a stark reminder of the rest of the Arkanisian suppressants that had gone down with  _Starkiller_. Hux took another deep breath and continued to the jar of bacta. Everything will be fine, he told himself. The new shipment should arrive shortly, or so he hoped.

He had worked tirelessly the past few weeks after the fall of  _Starkiller_  and nothing had happened. He just had to hold on a little longer. Hux shivered, unable to hold in the apprehension that washed over him. It was times like these that Hux wished that he had acquired more of his father’s genes in the hopes that the cursed old man’s DNA would somehow circumvent the heat that always threatened to take his body.

Whoever decided that the “omega gene” of Arkanis was a trait worth passing down through the generations was a kriffing moron. He had heard the stories on several of those rare occasions that he had stolen away from the Academy to the outside world, of the chieftains of old “blessed” with such a trait and gifted with sharp minds and powers of wonder in exchange for phases of hypersexuality known as “heats,” which they used to find the worthiest of mates. There were stories of numerous contenders fighting over one omega, the strongest given the honor of bonding with the omega, supposedly for life.

He couldn’t fathom how this was ever a fair trade.

Hux wiped the sheen of sweat from his forehead and opened the jar of bacta, smearing a large amount on his side as he winced at the sensation. The gel was cool against his skin and calmed him somewhat as he continued with his work. This was a good sign. He peered at the prints around his neck, debating whether he should waste his dwindling supply on them.

He fought back the building pressure in his chest as the events of the day came back to him.

He had thought, hoped that Ren would be different; the man had not touched him once as co-commander despite destroying a number of consoles and throwing the occasional unfortunate stormtrooper across the room. But, it had all ended the moment Snoke was out of the picture.

He let out a breath, brushing away those old fantasies, desires that he had kept carefully sealed away from the light of day. He was destined to observe from afar, but it was never fate for him to feel, to get close to anyone, especially after what happened back at the Aca- he stopped his train of thought there, but the memories spilled over anyway despite his efforts. 

_“No one will mourn when you are gone.”_

In contrary, he supposed they would all rejoice after what he had done to the Hosnian System.

His hand trembled against the bruises on his neck, and a wave of nausea washed over him as the room seemed just a little too bright, too hot. He gritted his teeth. It would happen soon, and he could only hope that the shipment would arrive soon, or else he would be forced to wait it out in his quarters during this crucial time for the First Order.

Hux let out a shaky breath. If Ren knew of any of this, he would be dead in less than a blink of an eye. The First Order had no need of weak general.

A sound from the other room startled him from his reverie, and he rushed into his bedroom to grab his blaster only to find none other than the new supreme leader standing in the doorway.

“R-Ren?” he found himself unable to hide the surprise in his voice and opted to grab his robe instead of the blaster, wrapping it around himself in an attempt at some form of decency. Hux swallowed hard and collected himself, feeling the flush rise to his cheeks and everywhere else on his pale body. He hoped that the dim lights would hide most of it from the other. “To what do I owe the honor?”

The man’s arm twitched and Hux braced himself for the oncoming pain only to find his throat mercifully intact as Ren seem to reconsider his strategy and closed the distance between them instead, pushing him backwards roughly against the wall. He suppressed a hiss of pain as his bruises made contact with the durasteel behind him.

“Why did you ignore my summons?” Ren hissed.

“I-I…” Hux cursed himself for stuttering, too distracted by the proximity of the other as a familiar wave of panic began to wash over him. He gritted his teeth, willing it away helplessly as he felt his injured shoulder under the other’s arm began to tremble both from pain and distress. “I didn’t see the summons until a moment ago,” he managed, hating himself for the weakness in his voice, high-pitched in almost a plea.

He felt Ren reach into his mind regardless.

“You were planning to betray me,” the other breathed, “just like everyone else.”

“N-no, I…” Hux gulped, staring at dark eyes, their expression all too familiar to him, just like  _their_ eyes, like his father’s eyes. The wave of panic hit just as Ren’s consciousness forced itself in, blaster on the floor under the clothes forgotten. He was powerless, weak…

He screamed.

_He attempted to resist, but there were too many of them, their eyes glazed over as if in a trance, his own body helplessly hot and burning._

_“Stop! Please!” he pleaded, sobbed. They had him against the desk, arms pinned above his head._

_He was scared, terrified of them, of his own body. It was when the first boy thrust into him that the scene shifted violently, and he could feel Ren attempt to wrench him away from the memory, away from their hands._

“Hux!” he could hear someone calling his name, but the attempt was to no avail.

_He now was lying on the ground, a broken mess as he curled into himself._

_Cold cold cold…_

_Everything was so cold…_

_He was disgusting, tainted, soiled._

_The scene shifted to his father, eyes glazed over with fury and something else he could not name…_

_Something…_

_“Disgraceful. Just like your mother.”_

He felt Ren pull away, the movement bringing both of them back into the present. Hux blinked, fighting to focus on something tangible in front of him: the familiar durasteel walls, his greatcoat in the closet, his broken reflection in the full body mirror in the room, Ren’s dark eyes. It was a moment before he registered the distant sound of his front door sliding shut, the supreme leader retreating right before his very eyes. He fell to the floor, his traitorous body trembling under the ghost of the other’s touch.

He was tainted… tainted… Not even Kylo wanted him. No one wanted him. He curled into himself, laughing as the last bit of sanity ebbed away.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reaching the end of Chapter 1! This is just something small that kept festering in my computer that I didn’t know what to do with, so I decided to finally post it. There’s ABO-like elements in this fic, but it’s not really that prominent so just FYI if you were expecting a super Alpha-Kylo pinning after Hux. (I do enjoy my share of ABO fics though ahaha~)


	2. Kylo

The sudden clarity that spread through his mind rivaled anything he had ever felt in his many years of training in the Force. It was as if a heavy fog had lifted from his senses, the world a vibrant display of color even before the last glimmer of life left the eyes of his former master. The novelty lasted through the entire battle to the moment his grandfather’s lightsaber split apart and embraced him back into Darkness.

The first thing Ren felt as he came to on the floor of the throne room among the burning corpses of the Praetorian Guards was a strange emptiness that permeated the room. He could no longer sense Rey’s presence and wallowed in the realization for a another moment, unwilling to wake to the destruction that surrounded him, that had always followed him throughout his life.

It was then that he sensed a slight shift in the Force, the gears of a well oiled machine halting to a full stop, engulfing the air with a black hole of nothingness. The sensation caught him completely by surprise, and it was a moment before he realized that this nearly overwhelming emptiness was coming from none other than his long time rival General Hux. He instinctively thought to open his eyes to show the other that he was still alive but held his ground with a great effort.

He had no doubts that the general would take the opportunity to do away with him now, especially with the man’s aspirations to become the new supreme leader.

Yet, the wave of emptiness that washed over him when he attempted to read the general’s mind was not something he expected from the other. Hux’s consciousness had always been a constant turning of gears running tirelessly throughout all hours of the day, and although he had been forbidden by Snoke to look, he had always been unable to drown out the hum from the other’s ongoing thoughts.

However, all that was left now was nothing, not even Darkness.

Just emptiness.

It took a moment before he sensed the other’s surprise start to work back into that void, followed by a flicker of heat that he did not recognize, just barely detectable before the machine returned, putting out the flame with a stern stomp. He sensed the other draw the hidden blaster Hux always kept in his coat, and it was at that moment that he chose to jump up, right as he felt the flame leap out once again, pausing the other’s hand.

But, he was too late to see where it led, as Hux reverted back to the insufferable man he knew him to be.

He had missed his chance by a hair.

.

Kylo regarded the request curiously as he reread the message on his datapad. The commandant had never paid him any mind even with his “close” association with his son and the former supreme leader, and he knew exactly why the man would do so now.

They were all vultures, the entire lot of them.

After a moment of internal debate, he sent a message to the general, intending to discuss the issue with Hux before he made any moves. As much as he hated to admit it, he needed to stay on the general’s good side, at least until he had taken all that he needed from Hux.

Hux knew his way around the workings of the First Order too well to be disposed of at this time in the game, especially with people like the commandant making their move now that Snoke was dead.

Kylo rested his chin on his fingers, contemplating all that had happened up until now. Rey should be the one standing with him, helping him shape the First Order into something new, something completely theirs, but she had swatted his offer away as quickly as she had come running to him. He quelled his rage just as the room started creaking, the bolts connecting the many durasteel panels wailing under the pressure from his Force. Rey was nothing to him now, he told himself. He needed to focus on the matter at hand, and that was strengthening his position as Supreme Leader.

And as much as he hated to admit it, the process would be a lot smoother with the insufferable general at his side, at least until he could secure his foothold.

Thus, he waited impatiently for Hux to respond only for the minutes to tick by slowly without any response. He resisted the urge to just storm into the general’s quarters and engage the other there; he had every right after all as supreme leader, but he needed to win the general’s trust, he told himself. He had to be patient.

Yet, he had always known Hux to be a prompt man, and there could not be any other reason for the man’s lack of response other than defiance, and the longer he waited, the greater the anger boiled in his veins.

His eyes trailed to the datapad.

What did it matter to Hux how he responded to his own messages? Besides, he owed the general nothing regarding the commandant. Yet, he managed to wait another hour before his control broke.

Hux was definitely being defiant.

With that, Kylo finally seized the datapad in a show of frustration and typed in a response to the commandant while in the fervor of his current annoyance at Hux. If the general’s father wanted to pay his respects to the new supreme leader, then let him do so. Perhaps Kylo could even use this to his advantage in controlling the rabid cur.

Kylo then proceeded to give up the waiting game and grabbed his lightsaber, fully intending on giving the general a piece of his mind. If Hux was going to be like this with him, then he needed to remind the man of his place.

He stormed across the halls of the _Finalizer_ , the stormtroopers and occasional personnel almost jumping out his way as his rage permeated even the walls. Kylo finally reached Hux’s quarters and furiously inputted the override codes to his former co-commander’s door.

He nearly stopped when he found the living quarters dark. His anger subsided for a moment from confusion before flaring back up again. So, Hux had been sleeping when the man should be commanding his armies? He stormed across to the bedroom door, throwing it open.

“R-ren?” am almost meek voice stammered, halting his rampage at the door.

Kylo had to stop himself from gaping at the sight of the general, completely naked except for a towel around his waist, the man’s side glistening with what looked like bacta on a display of dark purple. He watched as Hux nearly dived for the robe and wrapped it around himself, face flushing.

“To what do I owe the honor?” Hux nearly spat out, the contemptuous dog all but returned. Kylo felt the rage boil again. Hux would defy him even know. His fingers twitched, and he changed his mind after a moment, storming across the room instead and pushing the other against the wall.

“Why did you ignore my summons?” he hissed, almost dropping the other in surprise as he felt the anger from the other man dissipate into a storm of fear. That nearly stopped him again. It should not be possible. Hux never feared him.

“I-I… I didn’t see the summons until a moment ago.” The voice from before had returned as well. He wasn’t used to the hesitation, the outright panic that flowed from Hux’s mind. No, this must be fake. Hux was much smarter than that.

“You were planning to betray me,” Kylo snarled, reminding himself of what nearly happened in the throne room, “just like everyone else.”

Before Hux could reply, or rather, before Kylo allowed himself to hesitate any further, he reached in, shoving the other’s mental defenses away. He would quell any traitorous thoughts from the other here and remind the other just who was in charge.

To his surprise, it was a not meticulously planned assassination attempt that came to Hux’s mind, but a young boy in his teens with blazing red hair pinned to the desk in a dark room while surrounded by a dozen others, their eyes glazed over as if in a trance.

He nearly flinched at the wave of nausea that washed over him from the other, and his attempt to pull out of the vision failed. Kylo’s breath hitched as the scene continued to play out in Hux’s mind, the other helplessly frozen under him.

_You are powerless… Weak..._

“Hux!” he called out, attempting to break the spell once again, but once that damn had broken, there was no stopping the memories. Hux started trembling under him. If this continued on then…

_“Disgraceful. Just like your mother.”_

He pulled again, hard, bringing both of them into the present. The mere strength he had to exert on the action left his breathless, and Hux didn’t seem to be in any better shape.  

Wide eyes darted frantically around the room, waves of distress washing over Kylo repeatedly as their owner struggled to grasp onto some semblance of sanity. He could feel Hux slipping quickly, likely with only the other’s profound dignity still holding him upright. He almost feared the other would shatter where he stood. Kylo swallowed thickly. He didn’t want this. He just wanted…

Pale green eyes met his, their depth nearly taking his breath away. They were rimmed with red, and a sudden impulse to soothe them washed over him. He gulped.

Before Kylo could hurt the other any more than he had, he followed the first logical plan that bore fruit in his mind.

He ran.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hallo again! Sorry for the long wait; RL called and took a while. I anticipate the chapters to get a little longer after this (I dunno~ this thing is hard to write rawr). Anyways, thank you for making it to chapter 2!


	3. Hux

_The shipment is late._

“T-there must be some sort of miscommunication, sir. I do not see anything on the list,” the man sputtered while scrolling hurriedly through the datapad, thankfully oblivious to Hux’s predicament. The private’s bloodshot eyes met his, and for a moment he felt an empty comradery with the other stemming from their mutual insomnia. He had no doubt there were others on the ship who lacked sleep, especially after all that had happened, all that they had lost.

“Were you expecting a package, general?” the man’s voice brought him back from his short reverie.

“That is fine,” Hux had to keep himself from shaking. “Carry on.”

He had arranged for a new supply of suppressants to arrive with this particular delivery of emergency rations, acquired with the excuse that it was needed to hold them off for the remainder of the salvage efforts of the ruined _Supremacy,_ but it seemed that he was not even allowed this comfort.

Hux’s fingers quivered on his own datapad as he fought the urge to contact the distributors themselves yet again. He had already done so thrice, and that was already enough risk for him. It was obvious what fate awaited him if the current supreme leader were to find out even more about his condition. He remembered the encounter in his quarters all too well, and it was a wonder that he had not seen the man-child at all the past few cycles.

It was enough for him to re-collect himself, at least for the time being, before his biology would ruin it all again.

It was only a matter of time.

He put his datapad down.

The rest of the cycle went by in a blur. The salvage operation was still ongoing and on schedule, to the credit of his men, and the search for what was left of the Resistance remained at a standstill, as expected. The hours blended into one another, and he found himself fighting the urge to loosen his collar as the air around him seemed to grow increasingly thick. He had to blink away the daze accompanying the discomfort more than once before his eyes trailed to one of the shield operators sitting below.

“Lieutenant.”

The man straightened up at once. “Y-yes, general?”

He could see the trails of sweat running down the side of the man’s head, could almost hear the quickened heartbeat.

“I will not have you indisposed on the bridge. Go to the medbay,” he nearly snapped, adding, “That’s an order,” when the other did not reply. He watched as the man scurried off the bridge, reminding himself to look up the officer later to ensure that there would be no place for a confrontation of any sort.

A beep from his comm distracted his already muddied thoughts, and he peered down at the message on the datapad, gloved fingers trembling around the screen as he read the meeting request from the supreme leader.

He never doubted Ren’s horrible timing.

The walk to the conference room felt like a death march. Hux composed himself as best he could before stepping through the doors to his doom, his carefully erected walls nearly shattering as a wave of musk overtook him, nearly choking him with its sweet embrace. He grasped the back of one the chairs to steady himself before he was able to spot the supreme leader sitting at the end of the table.

Hux cleared his through, trying not to breathe in the musk as he straightened himself up.

“You sent for me, Supreme Leader?”

Ren’s eyebrows turned up slightly, and Hux fought the urge to shrink away.

_“He knows…”_

He could feel the leather of the seat groan under his grip, and there was something at the edge of his mind, poking around unsettlingly. He wondered if Ren was trying to get in again and lowered his defenses helplessly. The other knew everything anyway. There was nothing left to hide.

He wondered if he would be executed here of all places, and his thoughts trailed to the hidden monomolecular blade. Should the time come, he decided that he would not give Ren the satisfaction. The blade was much closer to his own heart than any lightsaber from across the room.

He finally felt the presence pull away, and Ren stood up, the man’s massive form nearly causing Hux’s traitorous feet to take a step back.

“Your father requested to pay the _Finalizer_ a visit to assess the ships current capabilities as a temporary flagship,” the supreme leader said, catching him by surprise. He had expected Ren to bring up what had happened but this… this…

This may as well be ten times worse.

Hux breathed. Breathing was good.

He felt his body stiffen regardless, the hairs on the back of his neck standing up as all of his fight or flight instincts came back online. No doubt his father would use this as a chance to further his own standing; the man’s career had been at a standstill for years as was much of the older Imperials within the First Order. His studied Ren’s gaze intently, already knowing the other’s decision despite his own wishes.

He swallowed thickly, trying to ignore the taste of bile in his mouth. “You plan to accept.”

Ren shrugged. “I meant to consult you on the matter earlier, but you never showed up. I had forgotten that I’ve already accepted, so I thought you should know.”

Hux could only stare on blankly as Ren’s fingers swiped over the datapad. There were a thousand retorts he could throw at the man, but everything single one of them would mention the episode back in his quarters. He gulped, unable to find his voice even as Ren seemed to wait patiently for him to do so.

“I see,” he finally managed, feeling his veins run cold. He could feel a wave of panic begin to tear at him. “If that is all…” Hux didn’t even bother to finish before he turned and left, not even thinking once that the other would stop him.

_The shipment is late._

.

Hux stared at his sunken reflection in his refresher, taking in a deep breath before expelling slowly.

Commandant Brendol Hux will arrive at the _Finalizer_ in five cycles.

He had five cycles to figure out what to do about the suppressants. His supplier had never been late before, and he had a hunch in the deepest recesses of his gut that his father had something to do with it. Hux had finally mustered up the courage to contact them once again through a secure channel but again no response came.

He could take an emergency leave of absence and obtain the drugs himself, but leaving the _Finalizer_ to Kylo Ren could very well spell doom for him as well. He knew the other would off him without a moment’s hesitation the second his usefulness ran out. Hux took another deep breath.

He would be fine. He would ride this out. He’ll look for a way to obtain the suppressants after his father leaves. Maybe his heat would come afterwards.

If only if were that simple.

It only took a few more cycles for the temperature of the _Finalizer_ to become unbearably hot. His prized greatcoat stayed in the closet where he had hung it up after Crait, and more than once Mitaka had looked at him oddly from behind the man’s datapad.

Hux knew he didn’t have much time left as he barked at the lieutenant to stop daydreaming, and he strode off of the bridge to work in his office. Work still needed to be done, whether it be from the bridge or in the solitary confines of his own personal workspace. Now that Snoke was gone and replaced by a petulant man-child, he took it upon himself to keep the First Order running. Morale was definitely low, the budget had taken a great hit, and people were talking, likely plotting.

He needed to get everything in order before the inevitable heat hit, and he reasoned that if the suppressants didn’t come by then, he’ll make up some kind of excuse to stay in his quarters for a few cycles. Of course, no excuse would keep his father away.

He had averaged four hours of sleep since Starkiller, and now even that dwindled to two on good nights, power naps on most. The bruising on his thighs from the constant stimulant injections were starting to bother his gait, and he knew that he would collapse soon if he did not slow down.

He would not think of the episode with the supreme leader.

He ignored the heat that seemed to grip him at every turn and the strange strong musky scent of sandalwood that permeated through the air whenever the supreme leader was on the bridge. The man thankfully never dwindled for long, always leaving promptly whenever he arrived. If anything, Hux would say that the other was avoiding him.

He admitted that it worked to his favor as well. He had no desire for a confrontation with the other about whatever Ren saw in his head. He had considered thrusting his monomolecular blade into his heart out of shame that night, if not for the fact that he was too weary to bend down to pick it up from his discarded clothes on the ground.

He was almost there, he reasoned. The Order will survive. He would protect his life’s work, with or without Ren’s help. He would stabilize their current situation, and then he would sleep.

“There is a comm for the supreme leader, sir,” Mitaka’s voice interrupted him from his reverie.

“And?”

The lieutenant gulped. “Supreme Leader Ren has taken the TIE Silencer out earlier this cycle. He said he should be back shortly.”

Hux nearly cursed out loud when he saw the sender. Of all the times the other could have chosen to take a kriffing joy ride in his kriffing…

“I’ll take it in my office.”

The sneering face of Brendol Hux was exactly as he remembered it, and the Commandant wasted no time in reminding him of his failure back in the throne room of the _Supremacy._

“I believe that I asked for the Supreme Leader.”

“He has stepped off the ship for the moment, I’m afraid,” Hux replied smoothly, fists clenched under his desk as his father’s eyes studied him, no doubt for a misplaced reaction.

“Ah well, it matters not. Inform him that we are ahead of schedule. I will be a day early.”

“Yes, sir.”

“Meaning, tomorrow.”

Hux did not allow himself to flinch.

“Yes, sir.”

The corners of his father’s lips turned up ever so slightly.

“Do rest up, son.”

The link shut off.

Hux felt the sweat sliding down the back of his neck now that he was alone with the familiar hum of the _Finalizer’s_ engines. He knew that smile. Brendol was coming for him, and he knew his body would be too weak to fight it.

He stood up shakily. He should think nothing of it. He needed to get back to the bridge before they suspected anything. So, what if his father would be a day early? Ren still had the rest of the cycle to get back from his blasted joy ride, and…

“Sir?” Even Mitaka seemed to have caught on to his strange behavior on the bridge. The air was thick, nearly unbreathable, and he could feel his heart pounding against his ribcage. He could feel their eyes on him. It was starting.

“Sir?” Mitaka repeated, the man now only inches away. “I may be overstepping, but I think you should rest. You’ve been looking pale since this morning.”

He stared at the other’s earnest brown eyes. Under any other circumstances, he would have scolded the lieutenant, but he found himself lost for words.

“I’ll make sure the operation stays on schedule, and the supreme leader should be returning any moment so…” Mitaka stumbled on the next few words, rightfully so, “he should be able to handle things in your absence.”

“Lieutenant,” Hux warned him, but Mitaka pressed further, lowering his voice even more.

“You would not be able to lead if you collapse, sir. Please.”

He could feel the eyes on him as he left the bridge, could feel their thinly veiled interest follow him through the door even as it slid shut. The trek back was torture, and he could only hope that no one was following him through the deserted hallways meant only for high ranking officials.

Hux stumbled more than once, grabbing at the walls to steady himself as his eyes scanned his surroundings in a daze before he willed his body to continue.

He was too late.

The mantra repeated mercilessly in his head, the artificial lights on the ship too bright, the cold controlled environment too hot, his body too slow to make the process any easier.

Hux finally made it back to his quarters, his legs giving way under him as he slid to the floor against the door as soon as it slid closed behind him. He tore at his collar almost frantically, trying to wrestle the buttons out so that he could breathe. He supposed that this was it for him.

It wouldn’t be long before someone noticed, and his condition would spread throughout the ship like wildfire, his cursed blood calling to everyone around him until someone claimed him, subdued him. His breath hitched in his throat at the thought.

He had fought for so long, clawed his way up with every ounce of fury that was his life, and all for what?

Another wave of heat washed over him, and he was suddenly trapped again in that room at the Academy. No one was coming to save him.

He choked in a sob, gasping for air as his hand trembled around the top button of his collar before he finally managed to free it only to find no relief even with the loosened pressure around his neck. Ren might as well be choking him with his space magic.

As if fate were answering his call, the door behind him slid open, and Hux looked up with glazed eyes, the heat suddenly concentrating in his nether regions as a wave of sandalwood washed over him like an aphrodisiac. In his mind, he tried to escape, but his body moved forward towards the intruder on its own and grabbed blindly at the source, its owner flinching at the contact as he reached up and caught the other in a desperate embrace.

The heat was overwhelming.

“Hux?” he could hear his name from somewhere far away. He was doomed.

_They had him pinned to the desk, and he had wanted it._

He shuddered, unable to fight the sensation as the door slid closed once again, and his doom guided him to the couch, pushing him down into it. The desire he felt was unlike anything he had ever experienced, even with his wish for control.

Hux blinked.

_Control._

Why had he ever desired something he could not obtain?

It was then his senses seem to come back momentarily, and he shoved the other away from him weakly.

He knew what he had to do.

_Control._

His one true desire.

He grabbed at the hidden monomolecular blade in a daze, managing to unsheathe it from under his jacket.

_Control._

It was in his hand, he just had to turn it upon himself and…

“Stop!”

The blade clattered to the floor and he was pinned down against the sofa. He froze, his body betraying him to his memories, his vision swimming. It was over. He had lost.

The intruder shoved something in his mouth, a pill. He made to spit it out, but then the other kissed him roughly, and he swallowed, unable to fight. He was weak, pathetic, the very same boy lying in that hospital room back at the Academy.

It was over.

He should have jumped, those many years ago, should have…

_“Hux, stop.”_

The heat seemed to subside, replaced by an overwhelming fear, yet, the arms around him were warm, almost gentle.

 _“Sleep. You’re safe,”_ he heard, and the world became dark.


End file.
